Feral Jundi

Saturday, August 16, 2008

News: Exclusive-Thoughts on the War in Georgia by a Resident

Filed under: Georgia(country),News,Russia — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 10:59 PM

   Hey guys and gals, I have a real treat for FJ readers in regards to the latest developments going on in Georgia.  We have a guest author who lives in Georgia, but is currently working in Iraq, who has written a gem of an article.  Chris is his name, and he has graciously allowed me to post his ideas and thoughts on the current events in Georgia.    

     Chris is currently working in Iraq, as I have stated, and has had to deal with two wars–one for work and one impacting his home.  His family was in Georgia during the beginning of the war and luckily they were able to get out of Georgia as events unfolded.  Very scary stuff and by the grace of god, they made it out safely.  It is extremely unfortunate that they had to leave their home like that.  

     For the backdrop on this article, Chris was responding to a question about his views on the situation there in Georgia in a forum called The Black Flag Cafe.  Like most forums that cover current affairs and world events, the BFC has been very active with discussion about the war in Georgia.  

 

     I have found the BFC to be an excellent source of ideas and discourse, when trying to analyze and understand current events that are happening quickly.  The BFC is also owned and moderated by the author Robert Young Pelton.

     Thanks to Chris for such a well thought out article and I wish the best for him and his family during this most unfortunate of events. –Head Jundi

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From a discussion on the Black Flag Cafe in regards to the current war in Georgia…

By Chris

Here is a shot at enlightening all of you about some of the past events that have led us to where we are today.

Zviad Gamsakhurdia is largely blamed for the conflict in S. Osettia. This is in part because he opposed the S. Osettian movement (around 1989 I think) to become part of N. Osettia, and in part because many of his supporters used the slogan “Georgia for the Georgians”. I could be wrong, but I do not believe that this was ever his slogan.

During Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s presidency fighting again broke out in S. Ossetia (1991-1992). People on both sides (Georgians and Ossetians) of the conflict were displaced. Russians move in and stop the fighting, and install themselves as peace keepers.

(more…)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

News: Bush Sends US Troops to Georgia

Filed under: Georgia,News,Russia — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 12:20 PM

     And now things get interesting.  The move I see with this, is to hold Russia to it’s word of a ceasefire.  But the bigger message is that we are going in, and if Russia has bigger war plans, then it better not conflict with our plans of providing aid.  This could be risky, because the Russians could very well play the game of swinging their arms wildly and saying “I am not stopping, I am not stopping” while they walk towards us.  And for that matter, I do hope that there are a few Combat Air Controllers with this small contingent of troops that are going in.  And with all air on deck….  

     The other thing about this is that our administration is making their move.  It’s risky, but they have to do something to save some face.  Russia seems to have no intention of honoring a ceasefire and the whole world is watching, including the other break away republics in the region.  Stay tuned to see how this plays out. –Head Jundi 

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Bush sends US troops to Georgia

The US is sending troops to embattled Georgia in the form of a humanitarian aid exercise, President George Bush said.

Mr Bush said military planes would deliver supplies in a move which would put American forces in the heart of the region.

The president said he was concerned that Russia might be violating the ceasefire in Georgia and he expected all Russian forces to withdraw.

(more…)

Friday, August 8, 2008

News: War Between Russia and Georgia, and the Impact on Our Iraq Mission

Filed under: Georgia(country),News,Russia — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 11:16 AM

     So I guess you are probably wondering, what the hell is going on in Eastern Europe?  Are we seeing another Chechnya unfolding before our eyes?  Who knows, but I guess the latest death toll from this conflict is 1400(unconfirmed) and this could get bloodier.  I know we are trying to diffuse this, but once the the cat is out of the bag, it is kind of hard to stop these things.  The timing is interesting too, with Olympics in China.

      But what really interests me, is the troop movements and how that might impact our efforts in Iraq.  And the private contractors that are currently in Georgia and assisting the training efforts of the Georgian military.  

     I have read on various forums that the contractors have been accounted for, but that is unconfirmed and things are happening fast over there.  So that will be something to look out for.

     The one thing that piqued my interest though, was the idea that Georgia was going to pull out 1000 troops in Iraq.  Georgia has over 2000 troops in Iraq now, and are the third largest contributor of troops in Iraq.  These troops that are being pulled out, will definitely impact operations elsewhere, and we will be doing some interesting troop shuffling to back fill these positions.  And knowing the enemy, they will definitely take advantage. We’ll see how it goes and Georgia will be the country to watch.  

      I also think the energy component of this is interesting, seeing how this would be a threat to the BTC oil pipelineto Europe and the west. –Head Jundi 

 

ANALYSIS-Georgia takes gamble with move on rebels

Fri Aug 8, 2008 10:48am EDT

By William Schomberg

LONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters) – Georgia’s bid to re-take its rebel region of South Ossetia by force is a gamble by its leader that he can still count on Western support as he tries to thwart Russian efforts to regain influence over the ex-Soviet republic.

Analysts said the escalating conflict risked far-reaching consequences for a region that has become a test of the post-Cold War balance of power as well as a key energy transit point for Europe which needs oil and gas from Asia.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was welcomed by the West as a fresh, reform-minded leader when he led a revolution in 2003 and was elected the next year, making NATO membership his priority as he tried to escape the orbit of Moscow.

(more…)

Monday, May 5, 2008

Technology: Robobug Goes to War

Filed under: Technology — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 2:46 PM

Hey, thanks to Doug for sending me this one. UAVs and robotics in the war-zone, are becoming commonplace, and this kind of technology is the natural course of this technology. How practical it will become, will be dictated by the grunt in the field or the cop on the streets. And into the future we go….. -Head Jundi

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Robobug

Plans for a robot that can crawl like a spider are ‘well developed’
 

Robobug goes to war: Troops to use electronic insects to spot enemy ‘by end of the year’
By DANIEL COCHLIN

It may have seemed like just another improbable scene from a Hollywood sci-fi flick Tom Cruise battling against an army of robotic spiders intent on hunting him down.
But the storyline from Minority Report may not be quite as far fetched as it sounds.
British defence giant BAE Systems is creating a series of tiny electronic spiders, insects and snakes that could become the eyes and ears of soldiers on the battlefield, helping to save thousands of lives.
Prototypes could be on the front line by the end of the year, scuttling into potential danger areas such as booby-trapped buildings or enemy hideouts to relay images back to troops safely positioned nearby.
Soldiers will carry the robots into combat and use a small tracked vehicle to transport them closer to their targets.
Then they would swarm into the building and relay images back to the soldiers’ hand-held or wrist-mounted computers, warning them of any threats inside.
BAE Systems has just signed a £19million contract to develop the robots for the US Army.

Plans for a creature that can crawl like a spider are said to be well developed, and researchers eventually hope to be able to create creatures that can slither like a snake or fly like a dragonfly.
While some of the creatures will be fitted with small cameras, others will be equipped with sensors that will be able to detect the presence of chemical, biological or radioactive weapons. (more…)

Saturday, April 19, 2008

News: Afghan Commandos Emerge

Filed under: Afghanistan,News — Tags: , , — Matt @ 11:17 AM

Afghan Commandos Emerge
U.S.-Trained Force Plays Growing Role in Fighting Insurgents

By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 19, 2008; A01

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Night after night, commandos in U.S. Chinook helicopters descend into remote Afghan villages, wielding M-4 rifles as they swarm Taliban compounds. Such raids began in December in the Sabari District here, long considered too dangerous for U.S. patrols, and have already resulted in the death or capture of 30 insurgent leaders in eastern Afghanistan, according to U.S. commanders.

“The Americans are doing this,” the Taliban fighters concluded, according to U.S. intelligence.

But though the commandos carry the best U.S. rifles, wear night-vision goggles and ride in armored Humvees, they are not Americans but Afghans — trained and advised by U.S. Special Forces teams that are seeking to create a sustainable combat force that will ultimately replace them in Afghanistan.

“This is our ticket out of here,” a Special Forces company commander said last month at a U.S. base in Khost, where his teams eat, sleep, train and fight alongside the commandos.

The creation of a 4,000-strong Afghan commando force marks a major evolution for U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan. After small teams of Green Berets spearheaded the overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001, they took the lead in combat, with the disparate Afghan militia forces they trained and paid playing a supporting role. Today, by contrast, the Special Forces advisers are putting the Afghan commandos in the lead — coaching a self-reliant force that U.S. commanders say has emerged as a key tool against insurgents.

Three of six planned Afghan army commando battalions — with 640 commandos each — have begun operations over the past five months. U.S. commanders say hurdles remain, from basic logistical issues such as teaching the commandos to conserve water to the larger challenge of ensuring that they are well integrated into the regular Afghan army. Still, the program is a bright spot in the broader effort to train Afghan security forces, a crucial aspect of the NATO and U.S.-led strategy to stabilize Afghanistan — one that is slowed by a shortage of thousands of trainers and recruits as well as equipment problems. (more…)

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